Q&A: Awareness Without End

Question: Hi, Rodney. I'm really enjoying your blog. I know putting one out every week is no simple task, so I am really appreciative of your efforts.

Rodney: Thanks for the warm words. Fortunately, writing and speaking about nonduality come very easily for me. So the blog is no strain at all. Occasionally, I feel a bit pressed when I'm fine-tuning the next week's posting in addition to working on another project (which is usually the case), answering emails, and working at my day job.

Q: I'm happy to say that I now have A Vastness All Around on my Kindle! It's so cool to be able to carry you everywhere.

Rodney: Thank you!

Q: I just had a question or comment about one of last week's blog entries. It's the one that says, "You are sitting. You are aware that you are sitting. You are awareness."

Rodney: Right, that's a particularly clear and potent pointer, if I may say so myself.

Q: You may, and it is! (Laughter). It initially paused me, then the old mental churning started up again. I resisted it, but then the whole process continued--pause, thoughts, resistance, etc. And that continues to be the case.

Rodney: Don't resist it. The mind is simply doing what it does--responding to a situation with relevant and/or analogous thoughts. The thoughts may or may not be a correct assessment of the situation, but they are there, nonetheless.

Q: Mine are relevant but annoying, even discouraging sometimes.

Rodney: Unnecessary labeling just adds a layer crediblity to thoughts. And this imagined credibility gives rise to feelings and actions. Your attempts to resist your conceptualizing is simply another thought coming into play, which, in your case, fosters resistance. And in little time at all, you are on this endless, weary, and convoluted road with your self-image in tow, which makes for heavy-going indeed. I'm reaching here, but I don't think that that is something you desire.

Q: God, no.

Rodney: So let's keep things simple: "You are sitting. You are aware that you are sitting. You are awareness."

Q: And then there is that really nice pause. I'm feeling it now.

Rodney: Precisely. The pointer is a lovely little progression, of sorts, to recognizing your true nature.

Q: But I thought--

Rodney: And you thought correctly: There are no "stages" to awareness. For you are already That. The pointer is just a way of speaking about a certain situation. It is no listing of objective steps "towards" presence.

Q: So there is "The sitting in the chair."

Rodney: Right, you are taken from the fact of your merely sitting in the chair to your being aware that you are sitting. Then, finally, there is the direct cognition that awareness is present without end. Seemingly, you have moved from "you" to You. But there has been no movement at all, just a sudden seeing or understanding--

Q: That awareness is always fully there.

Rodney: Correct. Either you have never had it properly pointed out or you have not paused significantly enough to see it for yourself. And to add a key point about the pause: It's not about trying to extend it. Time is not a factor here. It's not about spending x-number of seconds or minutes in the pause. It is about effortlessly seeing what is completely present. Thus, you are merely bringing your attention to something that you have supremely overlooked. It's that simple.

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News & Info

"Your book is a gentle guide to the vastness that is you." -- Dr. Joe Vitale, a star in the hit movie "The Secret" and author of The Awakening Course

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"Loved the book, Rodney. Enjoyed it as much as John Wheeler's first book, Awakening to the Natural State. My favourite quote of yours was "you are no more your personal history than you are your toothbrush." I like the fact that you included little tidbits of your life and surrounds. It felt more like reading a book on travel or history than some of the other textbook style books on nonduality. I think for anyone serious about a direct approach, your book and John Wheeler's are the two to have." -- Ian

~~~~~

A Vastness All Around: Awakening to Your Natural State is Rodney's first collection of essays, discussions, interviews, and powerful pointers. It can be ordered directly from the publisher at Lulu Press.

~~~~~

Vastness is now available for the Amazon Kindle! Order Here.

~~~~~

And for the book's Press Release, click Here.

~~~~~

If you would like to meet Rodney, have him to discuss nonduality, sign books, or read, you can email him at: writerguy@fastmail.fm. Such events are self-organized, so funding is key, with groups and universities that can cover travel expenses getting priority. And much appreciation!

~~~~~

This blog is generally updated every Monday afternoon, Eastern Standard Time.

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Pointers

You are sitting. You are aware that you are sitting. You are awareness.


*****


Don't worry so much about trying to develop compassion and kindness. Those qualities come of their own, naturally and with full force, with the recognition of your natural state. You are putting the cart before the horse when you attempt to use compassion and selflessness to "arrive" at Truth.


*****


When it comes to self-knowledge, there is no need to "enter into your feelings" or to engage in a detailed investigation of your "belief structure." Those endeavors are a complete waste of time. This is not to say that psychological issues don't exist or that there is no need for marvelously trained health professionals to treat people with certain disorders. We are merely pointing out that nonduality centers around recognizing the felt immeasurableness within which thoughts, emotions, and consciousness appear.


*****


Don't get caught up in the "witnessing position." If you do, you can easily remain there for the rest of your days. And it will all be for naught; for the witness that you are attempting to utilize is only an apparent one, a phantom that isn't able to help you to see anything. Further, witnessing is already being done by awareness, which is your true and limitless Self.


*****


You struggle to "attain" awareness when, in actuality, there is no way out of it.


*****


How can there be "steps" and practices to what you already are? Take a moment to see and feel the significance of that question. What is it, right now, that is subtly (yet fully) present and that does not change?


*****


One of your problems is that you are looking for a state that is blissful. And you will no doubt find it if you search, struggle, and sacrifice long enough. But such experiences won't last. Why? Because your real nature is peace and spaciousness, which are eternal and do not disappoint.


*****


You are that Ultimate Oneness at this very second. Consciousness, the world, the colossal oceans, and all the universe are effortlessly contained within you--again, at this very moment. We are not philosophizing here or proposing psychological theories or prophesying--just pointing to a simple and very evident truth.


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Right here and now, you are your own dharma, your own "right path." Nothing is needed except a clear and immediate seeing that you are That, awareness itself. You are simply being led by your mind and your imagination when you attempt to search for truth through spiritual journeys, prolonged concentration, and ascetic practices. You are your own dharma, you own "right path." Stay with the beauty of your natural and eternal presence. And what could be more effortless than that?

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News & Info

"Your book is a gentle guide to the vastness that is you." -- Dr. Joe Vitale, a star in the hit movie "The Secret" and author of The Awakening Course

~~~~~

"Loved the book, Rodney. Enjoyed it as much as John Wheeler's first book, Awakening to the Natural State. My favourite quote of yours was "you are no more your personal history than you are your toothbrush." I like the fact that you included little tidbits of your life and surrounds. It felt more like reading a book on travel or history than some of the other textbook style books on nonduality. I think for anyone serious about a direct approach, your book and John Wheeler's are the two to have." -- Ian

~~~~~

A Vastness All Around: Awakening to Your Natural State is Rodney's first collection of essays, discussions, interviews, and powerful pointers. It can be ordered directly from the publisher at Lulu Press.

~~~~~

Vastness is now available for the Amazon Kindle! Order Here.

~~~~~

And for the book's Press Release, click Here.

~~~~~

If you would like to meet Rodney, have him to discuss nonduality, sign books, or read, you can email him at: writerguy@fastmail.fm. Such events are self-organized, so funding is key, with groups and universities that can cover travel expenses getting priority. And much appreciation!

~~~~~

This blog is generally updated every Monday afternoon, Eastern Standard Time.

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Pointers

Look in the mirror at yourself. What is the presence that your image does not have?


*****


You have to get to the point where you realize that, through your practices and activities, you are actually doing rather than seeing. It's the recognition of your natural state that's paramount, not the endeavors that supposedly lead up to that recognition.


*****


Because meditation teachers must continually prompt their students to stick with their sitting (which is often distracting, uncomfortable, and/or downright painful), there must be something inherently flawed with meditation as a means to self-realization.


*****


Go beyond all answers, even beyond what I or any sage could ever say to you. See that you are pure awareness, Absolute Reality at this very moment. It takes neither a second nor a life-time for that realization to occur. For it is utterly timeless, as are you.


*****


See your own truth, rather than chant, memorize, or recall ancient concepts pointing to that truth.


*****

"Nirvana" is a beautiful Sanskrit word that originally means "to blow out" or "putting out fire." This definition is apt because with self-realization comes the exquisite absence of any burning desires or cravings for anything or anyone. Nothing out-measures the sereneness that you feel within you. It is, at once, profound, unwavering, and complete.

*****

It's really not enough not to identify with the contents of consciousness. You must cease identification with consciousness itself, which is also just an arising in presence. Though that endeavor may sound tricky, it's not. It's instantaneous and occurs when you discern that your seemingly ordinary, everyday awareness is both radiant and limitless.


*****


Always be mindful of the fact that awareness isn't being concealed. Neither is it something that you have to acquire or work toward. It is simply being overlooked. The more you give heed to this truth, the sooner you will come to see your own irrefutable reality.


*****


Most meditators intone such blather as "It's the journey that's important, not the destination" because even they suspect, in their heart of hearts, that they will never come to a final understanding through their activities. So they go from experience to experience to experience, which is just a journey to nowhere. That's why U.G. Krishnamurti would sometimes exclaim the brutal truth to them with, "There is no help for you!" He would later soften and expand that to: "There is no help for you outside of yourself." And practices and methods are just that--attempts to look outside of what you already are. Thus, meditators are doing the exact opposite of what they are intending to do!

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News & Info

"Your book is a gentle guide to the vastness that is you." -- Dr. Joe Vitale, a star in the hit movie "The Secret" and author of The Awakening Course

~~~~~

"Loved the book, Rodney. Enjoyed it as much as John Wheeler's first book, Awakening to the Natural State. My favourite quote of yours was "you are no more your personal history than you are your toothbrush." I like the fact that you included little tidbits of your life and surrounds. It felt more like reading a book on travel or history than some of the other textbook style books on nonduality. I think for anyone serious about a direct approach, your book and John Wheeler's are the two to have." -- Ian

~~~~~

A Vastness All Around: Awakening to Your Natural State is Rodney's first collection of essays, discussions, interviews, and powerful pointers. It can be ordered directly from the publisher at Lulu Press.

~~~~~

Vastness is now available for the Amazon Kindle! Order Here.

~~~~~

And for the book's Press Release, click Here.

~~~~~

If you would like to meet Rodney, have him to discuss nonduality, sign books, or read, you can email him at: writerguy@fastmail.fm. Such events are self-organized, so funding is key, with groups and universities that can cover travel expenses getting priority. And much appreciation!

~~~~~

This blog is generally updated every Monday afternoon, Eastern Standard Time.

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Q&A: A Sort of Amazing Experience

Question: Rodney, I've had a sort of amazing experience, and am not sure what to make of it. I don't know if it's an "awakening" experience or what, and I was wondering if I might get your insight. Afterall, you've already been there, done that, and surely have a better understanding of the terrain than most.

Rodney: Tell me about it.

Q: I've been noticing, every now and again, that my center of energy shifts away from its usual location in my head (mind...thinking) to my heart (deep feeling...no thoughts...clarity). It happened spontaneously the first time, and I simply noticed it with interest.

Rodney: Good, that's the way to observe such things--simply noticing them (with curiosity or not) and letting them go.

Q: Well, you see, that's just it. I don't let them go. As soon as my mind catches wind of what's happening, it jumps in and tries to "assist," and the experience stops. But then it happens again, and again. It feels like the center of consciousness/awareness is suddenly located in the heart region. And when it happens, there are no thoughts (or rather, no attachment to thoughts), and there is a permeating sense of mystery and utter fascination. (I remember your love of the word "wonderful," and I see now how very accurate that word is). I witness my environment in an innocent, childlike way. There is no particular sense of joy, bliss, none of that....just clarity and an emptiness that 'shines', for lack of a better word.

Rodney: Thanks for relating the details. But as beautiful and as captivating as the above sounds, it's all experiences. Just to touch upon a few key points: 1) Awareness isn't localized in any area of the body--rather, the entire body is an appearance in it; 2) Awareness doesn't cease to exist when thoughts and feelings (i.e. mind) arise; 3) Even witnessing your environment in "an innocent, childway way" hints of a someone--however wholesome and well-meaning--doing the observing; and 4) "Fascination" is not a term that I would use in connection with presence--however, "clarity" and "emptiness" certainly are. Indeed, they hit the nail squarely on the head.

Q: If this is Consciousness awakening in me, then it's astonishingly uncomplicated, though the moments are brief. And there are no bells, whistles, or choruses singing Bach in the background. That too would feel like clutter. No, this is just about as simple and unadulterated as it gets.

Rodney: Well, it gets even simpler when you see and understand that consciousness isn't awakening in you. In fact, consciousness--your sense of being present and of knowing that you are present--doesn't change in any significant way with self-realization, except to operate more efficiently. But you do seem to be experiencing moments stillness and clarity. Now notice that there is a felt-presence of awareness even within those pristine moments; It is an expansiveness that is ever there, that is neither an experience nor a notion; but rather, a limitless actuality that is nothing less than your true and natural state.

Q: Hmm, okay...I guess the good news is that I can stop tying myself in knots, wondering when I would have those next clear moments, as well as sometimes even trying to have them and seeing if I could prolong them in some way.

Rodney: Right, none of that is needed. If you happen to feel a temporary sense of "clarity" and "emptiness" in your heart region, merely take note that it is there. Don't try to do anything to "steady" it. That's the mind is operation. Just know or recognize that awareness is maintained by its own existence. It's self-luminous, and it requires absolutely nothing from you.

Q: Well, truth be told, all of those attempts at stabilizing it were starting to wear me out!...Thank you, Rodney. As always, I appreciate the wisdom and light that you share so openly on your blog.

Rodney: You're most welcomed. And remember, your presence of awareness is the answer, and not any verbal response that I might give you.

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News & Info

"Loved the book, Rodney. Enjoyed it as much as John Wheeler's first book, Awakening to the Natural State. My favourite quote of yours was "you are no more your personal history than you are your toothbrush." I like the fact that you included little tidbits of your life and surrounds. It felt more like reading a book on travel or history than some of the other textbook style books on nonduality. I think for anyone serious about a direct approach, your book and John Wheeler's are the two to have." -- Ian

~~~~~

A Vastness All Around: Awakening to Your Natural State is now available for purchase. Rodney's first collection of essays, discussions, interviews and powerful pointers can be ordered directly from the publisher at Lulu Press.

~~~~~

Vastness is now available for the Amazon Kindle! Order Here.

~~~~~

And for the book's Press Release, click Here.

~~~~~

This blog is generally updated every Monday afternoon, Eastern Standard Time.

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